Closing the Bike down for the winter

[Anonymous]

The weather is going down hill here and it seems like the season is coming to close for me...(my mesh jacket isn't cutting it anymore)

so this year will be my first for getting the bike ready for winter....here's what i plan to do..suggestions/modifications/additions greatly appreciated..

oil & filter change
top up the battery as neccessary and hook up the tender
baggies over the exhaust pipes..
cover the bike
wait for spring

in spring run the winter oil for a couple of hundred miles and do another oil change (and probably filter as there so cheap)

[satchmo]

This site has pretty good winterizing tips in case you missed something.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/winter-storage.html#1

Satch

[Anonymous]

Re: Closing the Bike down for the winter

The weather is going down hill here and it seems like the season is coming to close for me...(my mesh jacket isn't cutting it anymore)

so this year will be my first for getting the bike ready for winter....here's what i plan to do..suggestions/modifications/additions greatly appreciated..

oil & filter change

Put some Stabil in the tank, fill the tank with fresh fuel.
Remove the vacuum line from the petcock and run the bike until the carbs are empty
Put the bike in it's final resting spot, put it on the centerstand and put a block under the front of the engine to get the front wheel off the ground.
Remove the spark plugs and fog the cylinders with oil. Replace the plugs.

top up the battery as neccessary and hook up the tender
baggies over the exhaust pipes..
cover the bike
wait for spring

in spring run the winter oil for a couple of hundred miles and do another oil change (and probably filter as there so cheap)

I wouldn't wait a couple hundred miles. Hook up the vacuum line, run it around the block a few times to warm it up, then change the oil. I'd wait on the filter.
Make sure the place you store the bike is pretty consistent, temperature-wise. The less fluctuation in temp and humidity, the less condensation (which causes rust and corrosion) you have to deal with when you pull it out.

[Anonymous]

as to the stabilizer i was planning to pull the tank off over the winter to paint/petcock (thanks andy) and kreem (maybe) so i was debating not even putting the tank back on till spring...

as to the block under the engine...so would the net result be that both wheels would be off the ground..or just the front..?

spark plug removal i got but what is "fog the cylinders" ??

thnaks for the info

[Billy Ricks]

Phil,
You want both wheels off the ground so they don't flat spot.

[Anonymous]

ok so help me visualize (its getting late..)

bike on centerstand....back wheel in air..

so do i push the rear end down far enough to get the front in the air that slide a wedge under the engine ot hold it there....

[redliner1973]

what i do is put the bike on the centre stand, put a heavy object on the back part of the seat. this will cause the bike to 'fall back' on the rear tire, raising the front one in the air. I then take some wooden 2x4 and 4x4 blocks and with a blanket on the last ones I slide them under the oil pan area. I then take the weight off the rear part of the seat. The bike will then 'fall forward, and lifts the rear tire off the ground, and since you put all those blocks under the pan area, your front stays up also, and the bike is 'balanced' on the centre stand. if it 'falls forward/backward' again, not a problem, as now there is so little weight on the tires that no flat spots occur. hope this helps. :twisted:

[Billy Ricks]

so do i push the rear end down far enough to get the front in the air that slide a wedge under the engine ot hold it there....

Exactly, either block the engine or the frame to elevate the front wheel. A front end lift would be even better, but a few blocks of wood are alot cheaper.

[Anonymous]

thanks again

[Anonymous]

What's the deal with changing out that winter oil? I have the luxury of keeping my bike in near ideal conditions during the 4 to 5 month winter layoff: Warm, dry, dark. I change the oil and filter when I put the thing to bed, and I can't imagine how that oil could deteriorate to such a degree that it would need to be replaced in the spring (not in those conditions). However, I've seen the zero miles oil change offered here as standard advice without reservation or clarification.

[redliner1973]

There is absoloutly NO reason to dump oil that has been sitting doing nothing in the crankcase over winter. If you have water in the oil or something like that you have bigger issues to worry about. Oil does not go 'stale' or get dirty in there. it does not care where it is stored. The engine is sealed for the most part, save for maybe the breather hose that goes into the air cleaner anyhow.. Change it, put new oil and filter in it, put it to bed, rest easy. :twisted:

[satchmo]

I have the luxury of keeping my bike in near ideal conditions during the 4 to 5 month winter layoff:

What the heck are you putting her away for Al, we live in one of the few place in Canada where the riding season is 12 months long. Just have to man up and get a rain suit!

Satch

[Gary Lich]

"fogging the cylinders" is something that is recommended when storing 2 stroke outboard motors. Involves spraying a special 'fogging" oil into the carb while the motor is running. I don't think it is necessary on the bike and could gum up the carbs. Just pull the plugs, shoot a few small squirts of clean motor oil into the cylinders, crank the engine over a few times and replace the plugs. I you weren't pulling the tank off I would put stabil in and run it a little to make sure it gets in the carbs. I would'nt run them out of gas and let them sit dry ( I have have problems with the seals drying out when doing this). I also agree with the previous post (if you put the bike away with fresh oil there is no reason to change it out in the spring.

[MichaelHoward]

I put mine on the centerstand and rock it back and just slide a 1x6 board with a towel wrapped around it under the front tire. Is that wrong? never had a problem yet. :roll: